Product Description

The elegance of Madame Forza's gown shop is a far cry from the downtrodden North End of Boston. Yet each day Julietta, Annamaria, and Luciana enter the world of the upper class, working on finery for the elite in society. The three beauties each long to break free of their obligations and embrace the American dream-and their chance for love. But the ways of the heart are difficult to discern at times. Julietta is drawn to the swarthy, mysterious Angelo. Annamaria has a star-crossed encounter with the grocer's son, a man from the entirely wrong family. And through no intent of her own, Luciana catches the eye of Billy Quinn, the son of Madame Forza's most important client. Their destinies intertwined, each harboring a secret from their families and each other, will they be found worthy of the love they seek?

Publisher's Description

On the eve of WWI, three Italian immigrants dream of love, but each harbors a secret that could destroy their hopes of happily-ever-after.

Author Bio

Siri Mitchell, author of Love's Pursuit and She Walks in Beauty, has written eight novels, two of which were named Christy Award finalists. A graduate from the University of Washington with a business degree, she has worked in many levels of government and lived on three continents. She and her family currently reside in the DC Metro Area.

Julietta, Annamaria, and Luciana are all immigrants from the old country - Italy. It is 1918 in Boston, Massachusetts. and the Italians are still segregating themselves from Americans, and each other. Three young women try to make a life for themselves and their families in this new world full of ideas, and innovation.

Julietta is a seamstress for Madame Fortier's elite dress shop. A seductive young woman, she is a firm believer that men need to have the privilege of her presence, and is quite reckless in her way with men. This erroneous way of thinking soon gets her in trouble, and before long she is faced with the biggest problem of her young life. Will she realize the danger in time?

Annamaria is a shy, obedient young woman, and all she has in her future is a life of servitude to her family. Also a seamstress of Madame Fortier's, she is quiet and afraid to step out of the life that she believes she is destined for. But when she has an encounter with the grocer's son; from the wrong family, she has a choice. Follow her heart, or take care of her family as is expected of the eldest daughter?

Luciana is a young, Roman woman fleeing from a certain past, and she ends up looking for work at Madame Fortier's shop. Keeping her secrets from the girls at the shop, she comes and goes in almost complete silence. When she is chosen to take care of a particularly difficult client, she meets a young man that gives her hope for the future. Will she be able to begin anew in the new country where hope and new beginnings are promised?

The omnipresent viewpoint of this novel was actually a refreshing change for me. It was different than what I am used to, but it did cause me to spend a week in my journal writing the same way! I was very pleased to learn about the early beginnings of Italians in America, and I never realized how they kept themselves apart even in the new country. It goes to show that at one time or another, everyone has unreasonable prejudices against others for no reason other than pride. An eye-opening novel to the things that matter the most. "Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." 1 Corinthians 13:1.

Julietta, Annamaria, and Luciana are all immigrants from the old country - Italy. It is 1918 in Boston, Massachusetts. and the Italians are still segregating themselves from Americans, and each other. Three young women try to make a life for themselves and their families in this new world full of ideas, and innovation.

Julietta is a seamstress for Madame Fortier's elite dress shop. A seductive young woman, she is a firm believer that men need to have the privilege of her presence, and is quite reckless in her way with men. This erroneous way of thinking soon gets her in trouble, and before long she is faced with the biggest problem of her young life. Will she realize the danger in time?

Annamaria is a shy, obedient young woman, and all she has in her future is a life of servitude to her family. Also a seamstress of Madame Fortier's, she is quiet and afraid to step out of the life that she believes she is destined for. But when she has an encounter with the grocer's son; from the wrong family, she has a choice. Follow her heart, or take care of her family as is expected of the eldest daughter?

Luciana is a young, Roman woman fleeing from a certain past, and she ends up looking for work at Madame Fortier's shop. Keeping her secrets from the girls at the shop, she comes and goes in almost complete silence. When she is chosen to take care of a particularly difficult client, she meets a young man that gives her hope for the future. Will she be able to begin anew in the new country where hope and new beginnings are promised?

The omnipresent viewpoint of this novel was actually a refreshing change for me. It was different than what I am used to, but it did cause me to spend a week in my journal writing the same way! I was very pleased to learn about the early beginnings of Italians in America, and I never realized how they kept themselves apart even in the new country. It goes to show that at one time or another, everyone has unreasonable prejudices against others for no reason other than pride. An eye-opening novel to the things that matter the most. "Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal." 1 Corinthians 13:1.

A Heart Most Worthy follows the lives of three young Italian women who all work in a dressmakers' shop, each plying their own highly refined and specialized skills. There seems to be a bit of a popular trend in Christian historical fiction following the lives of Italians in New York in the early 1900s, so if you've read one of those books recently, you'll have a good idea of the settings contained within.

Now, normally I LOVE Siri Mitchell's work. She is on my list of authors who I must read when a new work comes out. So, I was very disappointed that A Heart Most Worthy just isn't up to the level of the fine writing she has presented in her other titles. She Walks in Beauty is an absolutely amazing book, and I was hoping that Mitchell would write something comparable in her latest novel.

Unfortunately the diversity of characters, the omniscient point of view of the narrator (whom actually sound quite condescending although I'm sure those asides are meant to be humorous), and the shallow treatment of the subject matter and character development all left me wanting.

My favorite character was Annamaria, her love story is so sweet and actually fairly realistic. Julietta never did really seem to grow up, and Luciana's romance never addressed the Catholic/Protestant divide, as so many Christian novels seem to be doing recently. The ethnic/perceived class conflict was addressed, but the spiritual gulf was just totally glossed over, and even ignored, which is incredibly inaccurate historically.

From another author I may not have been as disappointed. But from Siri Mitchell? I'm afraid I was. Please, please, don't write from an omniscient point of view again, it really does jerk the reader right out of the story when the narrator pops in with some odd comments that don't really move the story along or tell the reader anything that they can't figure out by inference.

Three Italian immigrant lives intertwine in Boston with the backdrop of WWI as love is gained and lost. A beautiful story that Siri Mitchell really hits her stride in. She has discovered a niche in historical fiction. One of the things I love about her best is that everything doesn't always end up perfect but she wraps it all up beautifully! Three very different Italian young women are finding their way through life and love in America with some help (and hindrance) from each other. There is a little mystery along the way and it is masterfully worked together. Excellent book.

Drawn together amid the opulence of Madame Fortier's dress shop; will each find the fairy-tale ending she seeks?

My Review:

I find myself drawn to Historical Fiction mostly because I love history and A Heart Most Worthy didn't disappoint. Siri Mitchell's description of 1918 Boston brought the setting to life. The characters were well developed and came to life before my very eyes and I found them to be very likable. As I came to know the girls I found that there were times I wanted to scold them, or to council them, and there were even times I wanted to let them cry on my shoulder.

Julietta Giordano is young and full of dreams of love. Her mother wants her to marry Mauro, a long time family friend, and the community doctor, but Julietta wants something more exciting. When she meets Angelo she thinks she has found what she has been dreaming of, but is Angelo and his anarchist politics what she wants?

Annamaria Rosi, is the oldest daughter of the Rosi family from Avellinesi, Italy and is expected to set aside her dreams of marriage because her family expects her to care for her family. But, Annamaria has fallen in love with Rafaello Zanfini, the son of a Sicilian, but Sicilian's were hated, and not to be associated with. When the Spanish Influenza sweeps over the city, as well as, the country, it hits the Rosi home hard. As a result, the Rosi family learns what it means to love your neighbor.

Luciana Conti left Rome with her grandmother, the Contessa, hoping to escape the people who assassinated her father. She found a job as a beader at Madame Fortier's shop. Where she meets and works with Julietta, and Annamaria. This is also where she meets Billy Quinn, the son of Madame Fortier's best clients.

Siri Mitchell also includes a historical note that gives the reader more information about the history of early 1900's Italy and Boston.

**A Heart Most Worthy Written by Siri Mitchell was provided to me free by Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.